State lawmakers might have a few bruises today—affecting both their bodies and egos—following the Senate's victory over the House 26-24 in the annual House vs. Senate Hoops 4 Hope basketball game on Friday night. In case you missed the big game, here's a play by play: ---
The Senate was led by Howie Morales, D-Silver City, who started strong and finished the game from the free throw line -- one of the few to actually make free throws in a game where both sides had trouble with their shooting.
Morales earns the unofficial SFR Most Valuable Player award thanks to his nine points, three rebound and three steals.
"I'm pretty beat up, but we'll take it," Morales told SFR after the game.
More importantly, the game raised $21,811 for the UNM Cancer Center.
Terry McMillan, R-Las Cruces, made a critical mistake near the end of the game. After the House got the ball back from the Senate, McMillan called a timeout -- but the House had no timeouts left and he was assessed a technical foul.
Somewhere, Chris Webber felt a pang of pain, though he wasn't sure why.
Morales sunk the two free throws and pushed the game out of reach.
The House came out with a strategy to neutralize the Senate's backcourt duo of Morales and Bill O'Neill -- full court pressure with last year's MVP Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, and energetic Bill McCamley, D-Las Cruces.
It forced a few turnovers, but as the game wore on and everyone grew more tired -- except McCamley and his limitless energy -- the Senate had an easier time breaking the full court pressure.
The House was also playing a more physical game, dumping Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, to the ground and giving Brian Moores, R-Albuquerque, a bloody lip at one point. Of course, it was Moores who committed the hardest fouls of the game.
The former University of New Mexico offensive lineman knocked McCamley to the ground in the first quarter when McCamley was driving to the basket. In the second half, Moores committed a flagrant foul on Paul Pacheco, R-Albuquerque.
In large part, the refs let the players play except for the most egregious fouls. Morales still found his way to the line time and time again by driving to the basket and being fouled while attempting layups.
Much like late 1980s NBA basketball, the House wasn't allowing any easy shots at the rim.
But it was ultimately free throw woes that doomed the House. At one point, McCamley had two air balls on free throws -- and he wasn't the only one to miss everything from the free throw line.
McCamley jokingly celebrated making a free throw in the fourth quarter by running around with his hands in the air -- only to be told that his foot was over the line and the free throw did not count.
Later in the game, with a chance to tie the game, Trujillo was also over the line on a free throw. And McCamley later did the same for a second time, though this time without the celebration.
The biggest battle was perhaps the battle on the glass.
Pacheco had ten rebounds to go along with his five points -- but Bill Soules outdueled him with 11 rebounds. Soules also had three points.
There was some controversy at the half, as the scorekeepers took a point away from the Senate, saying that a three-pointer the Senate made in late the in second quarter was really a two-point shot.
The only three-pointer made by the Senate in the first half was by Cliff Pirtle (he later added a second three-pointer in the second half).
Ultimately the missing point didn't matter, as the Senate won anyway.
McCamley led the House with 9 points and added three steals and one rebound. McCamley hit a three-pointer at the end of the game to make it a two-point game.
Oh, and the UNM Cancer Center reports that it raised nearly $22,000 at the affair. Win-win.
